Many Olympic sporting events can be traced back to ancient times. Here’s a look at how these events began:
Javelin throwing dates back to prehistoric times, when it was used as a hunting tool. Records of a javelin competition in 708 B.C. show that there were two types: throwing at a target and throwing for distance. Today’s modern javelin competitions are based on throwing for distance. The first Olympic javelin throw for men was held in 1908, and a women’s event was added in 1932.
The hammer throw can be traced back to 1800 B.C., when competitors threw a weight attached to a rope, a large rock attached to a wooden handle, or a chariot wheel on a wooden axel. The men’s hammer throw, which uses a 16-pound metal ball, became an official Olympic event in 1900. The women’s hammer throw, which uses an almost-9-pound ball, didn’t become an Olympic event until 2000.
Shot-put competitions can be traced back to pre-historic competitions with rocks, such as the “stone put” in Scotland in the middle ages. Modern shot-put rules were first created in 1860, and the sport was added as a men’s Olympic event in 1896. A women’s shot-put competition was added as an Olympic sport in 1948. The shot for men’s competitions weighs 16 pounds, while the shot for women’s competitions weighs almost nine pounds.
The history of the discus dates all the way back to 708 B.C. In ancient times, competitors stood in a set position on a small pedestal and threw a heavy disk. This style of throwing was used until the 1906 Olympics in Athens, when the more modern discus throw appeared. Today, athletes spin and throw the 4.4-pound, 8-inch discus, rather than throw from a standing position. In 1928, the women’s discus became one of the first official Olympic events for women.